LIVE – ADAM ANT & The Good, The Bad & The Lovely Posse, Perth 01 April 2012

Shane | 12 September 2012 | Reply

The Astor Theatre, Mount Lawley
Perth, Western Australia
Sunday 1st April, 2012

By Shane Pinnegar | Photos By Mike Moran

If anyone thought that the feel good punk rock tour of 2012 would be by fallen new romantic pop icon Adam Ant, it’s doubtful many serious rock fans would have believed it. Yet as soon as he bounded onstage at the ornate Astor Theatre he held the half filled room in the palm of his hand effortlessly.

Dressed as an 18th century Prussian Hussar, complete with jaunty piratical hat and ornate brocaded jacket, Ant delivered a surprisingly authentic and gritty rock show. Delving deep into his punk past, he also raunched up his pop hits with a ringing guitar assault and double drummer – the same configuration as the early Ants – delivery by the super tight The Good, The Bad & The Lovely Posse, which was heavier and just as vital as anything on the bill of the West Coast Blues & Roots Festival, also on tonight, which no doubt detracted from the crowd numbers.

Often strapping on a guitar himself to further flesh the meaty and full sound out, the dandy highwayman leads his troupe charismatically, letting awesome versions of Stand & Deliver and Puss N’ Boots do the talking rather than wasting time interacting with the crowd between songs until two thirds through the show, when he explains how Kings Of The Wild Frontier “makes me feel exactly the same as it did when I sang it in the 80’s”, and despite being 57, wasn’t shy (or unfit) – tearing his shirt down to his midriff mid song.

Debut album obscurity Whip In My Valise is an ode to bondage, and when Ant is handed a flower from an admirer, he proceeds to devour it, playing up to the adoring crowd egging him on, many with striped faces themselves who never stop dancing and singing throughout the almost two hour show.

This is no lightweight retirement fund enhancer or overly-sanitised trading on long-past glories – the band are on fire as Ant tears through obscurities, hits, b-sides and new tracks – of which Vince Taylor is as good as anything in tonight’s set list, which bodes well for the release of his new album later this year.

When backing singer Georgie changes to full Elizabeth Taylor-in-Cleopatra regalia, the stage is set for a rocking rendition of Cleopatra, and his trademark tune Antmusic positively bursts at the seams with pounding tribal drums and a huge riffing assault. Blinding interpretations of Goody 2 Shoes and Vive Le Rock lead the way to Christian D’Or and Lady/Fall In to end the main set.

The encore is a mini concert in itself – Fat Fun and Red Scab again delight the faithful before a double whammy of T-Rex covers in Get It On and Twentieth Century Boy show Ant’s glam leanings.

A fun singalong during Prince Charming and a raucous Physical (You’re So) close out a night which shows Ant has much more depth in his back catalogue than many give him credit for, and should serve as a lesson in how a former Eighties pop icon can tour thirty years later with relevance, charisma and integrity firmly intact.

Setlist:

Plastic Surgery
Dog Eat Dog
Beat My Guest
Kick
Car Trouble
Ants Invasion
Deutscher Girls
Stand & Deliver
Puss N’ Boots
Catholic Day
Kings Of The Wild Frontier
Wonderful
Whip In My Valise
Vince Taylor
Desperate But Not Serious
Cleopatra
Never Trust A Man With Egg On His Face
Zerox
Antmusic
Goody 2 Shoes
Vive Le Rock
Christian D’Or
Lady/Fall In